Ever wish you could dine on healthy, organic foods in a lemon grove with romantic lanterns hanging from the trees? Ok, so we went at lunchtime with girls so it wasn't all that romantic, but this is a beautiful restaurant and the romantic potential is definitely there. Kim wore a green shirt and coordinated perfectly with the decor of the restaurant. I would have taken a picture but she would have been forced to destroy my phone/camera so you will just have to imagine it in your mind and ponder the importance of dressing to match the restaurant decor. And because we are such movers and shakers-- we were able to go on opening day. So in the last week, we saw the opening of Eclipse and the opening of a restaurant... If I didn't have to work, I could go to the openings of everything and think how exciting that would be? La Jolla Grove is located in the Riverwoods shopping area in Provo, somewhat close to Borders... and is worth negotiating all of the construction in the area to get there. Blake Roney (of Nuskin) owns the restaurant and also bought an organic farm in order to provide fresh and locally grown produce and other ingredients. Within the next few weeks, a year-round farmers market will also be opening as part of the restaurant. A great idea and really could fill a niche in the Provo/Orem area.
We arrived early, before noon, and so it wasn't very busy yet. There were a lot of servers around, busily polishing silverware and glassware, and the service was attentive and very good. I hope that it got busier as the day went on and would guess that dinnertime would be the bigger rush. While waiting for our lunches we were served a mild sourdough roll, and we also tried the bruschetta. Loved the fresh tomatoes and garlic-y flavor.
Lots of items on the menu looked really good to me but I eventually settled on the Roasted Chicken Stuffed Crepes. Chicken and mushrooms were inside the crepes and the flavors were soooo good. A lemony-type sauce with asparagus, carrots, and squash topped off the crepes. While the portion looked small when they brought it out, it was more than enough and the flavors were amazing. The menu says that the carrots and squash were both so sweet that you couldn't really taste the difference and I found that to be true.
Kim ordered the Philly Steak sandwich and I was glad that she did because that was one of the items that I was also considering. Unlike the philly steaks you usually get, this one was served on bread rather than a roll and so was a little more difficult to eat but very tasty. The salad greens on the side looked very crisp and fresh and of course everything tastes great with a little ranch dressing...
Our server brought out the dessert menu just to tempt us (those evil servers...) and everything sounded light and summer-y and tempting. And, as I've said before-- I can stand anything but temptation-- so we ordered a lemon cake to split. Look how pretty it looked! Lemony cake with a light cream cheese frosting and spun sugar over the top with raspberries and a sprig of mint. The menu doesn't make any claims that the desserts are particularly healthy, but the lemon cake was very good.
Overall, I loved the La Jolla Grove restaurant and will definitely be back, particularly once the Farmers Market opens because I am curious about that. I hear that they plan to sell artisan breads and other local products, besides just fresh produce. The restaurant is a little price-y (our lunch entrees were in the $14 range) plus the other items, and portions aren't real big... but then if you want cheap and large portions than you should be going to one of those famous Utah buffet places. Everything about the restaurant was good, from the decor to the food, and so I would give it a
5-star rating.
And, I almost forgot the most important thing-- awesome Ice ! And I've heard you can't get crushed ice makers like that anymore.... Now I don't believe it.
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